Wrapping counter



l De 9, 1941-7- A. A. scHARFF, JR., x-:rAL 2,265,399-

l WRAPPING COUNTER Filed Feb. 12, 1941 INVENTORS ARTHUR A. SCHARFF,l JR. BY FRANK J. SMITH A ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 9, 1941 UNITED .aT-ENT OFFICE WRAPPIN G COUNTER Application February 12, 1941, Serial No. 378,69()

2 Claims. (Cl. 33-125) rfhis invention relates to a certain new and useful improvement in wrapping-counters.

Our invention has for its primary object the provision of a wrapping-counter with unique paper dispensing means for gauging the required amount of paper for properly wrapping a package of any selected size, thus enabling accurate and economical wrapping of packages.

Our invention has for a further object the provision of a counter of the type mentioned which is simple and economical in cost of construction, and which is highly eicient in the performance of its stated functions.

And withY the above and other objects in view, our invention resides in the novel features of form, construction, arrangement, and combination of parts presently described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing: i

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a wrappingcounter constructed in accordance with and ernbcdying our present invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevational View of the wrapping-counter; and

Figures 3 and 4 are longitudinal and transverse sectional views of the wrapping-counter taken approximately along the lines 3 3 and l-i, respectively, Figure 1.

Referring now in more detail and by reference characters to the drawing, which illustrates a preferred embodiment of our invention, A designates a wrapping-counter or table which preferably includes a horizontally disposed top-member I suitably supported upon a iioor or the like by conventional legs 2.

Fixed upon the under face of the table-top I, preferably adjacent one transverse margin thereof and depending vertically therefrom in spaced parallel relation, is a pair of laterally aligned paper-roll brackets 3 provided with opposed slotted saddles 4. Removably journaled at its ends in, and extending horizontally between, the saddies 4, is a shaft or rod 5 for supporting a paperroll R.

Swingably mounted at its ends upon the op.- posed faces of the brackets 3. and extending outwardly therefrom in the direction of the adjacent transverse. margin of the table-top I, is a preferably U-shaped drag 6 having a substantially horizontal bight member 'I for impinging engagement upon the paper-roll R, the drag 6 being normally yieldingly urged toward the roll R by means of conventional twist-springs 8, all as best seen in Figure 3 and for purposes presently more fully appearing.

Formed in the table-top I in inwardly spaced relation to the drag 6, is a suitable transversely extending slot 9, and fixed upon the upper face of the table-top I in inwardly spaced parallel relation from the slot 9, is a paper severing knife ill supported in slightly upwardly spaced relation from the upper face of the table-top I by means of end blocks II and screws I2, the tabletop I being further provided with a somewhat rectangular aperture or hand-hole I3 disposed centrally beneath the knife I0, all as best seen in Figures 1 and 3 and for purposes presently more fully appearing.

Secured by screws or other suitable fastening means upon the upper face of the table I adjacent one longitudinal margin thereof and in inwardly spaced relation to the knife It, is an L-shaped bracket I4` having a vertically disposed leg I5, and fixed upon the outwardly presented face of the leg I5, is a vertically disposed heightgauge IS provided lengthwise upon its exposed or visible face I'I with a scale I8 graduated preferably, though not necessarily, in inches and reading from bottom to top, as` shown in Figure 4.

Suitably secured upon the upper face of the table-top I preferably in endwise abutment against the height-gauge I6 and extending longitudinally therefrom in spaced parallel relation to the adjacent longitudinal margin of the tabletop I, is a length-gauge I9 provided on its upper or exposed face with a scale 20 graduated in the same units of measurement as the height-gauge IG and preferably having two series of graduation-numbers a, b, both starting adjacent the point of abutment with the height-gauge IS and reading in ascending order outwardly therefrom, the graduation-numbers of the series b being spaced by a distance equal to twice the distance between the graduation-numbers of the series a. Thus the number l of scale b corresponds to the number 2 of the series a; the number 2 of series b corresponds to the number 4, of the series a; the number 3 of the series b corresponds to the number "6 of the series a, and so forth, as best seen in Figure 1,. In this connection, it should be noted that the scale-bearing face I'l of the height-gauge I 5 is spaced from the cutting edge of the knife I0 by; some predetermined distance for automatically introducing into any length of paper which may be removed from the roll R an extra few units of length sufficient to provide the necessary lap in folding the sheet about the package.

In use, a roll R is conventionally mounted between the supporting brackets 3, and the paper thereof threaded up beneath the drag-bar 1, through the slot 9, and beneath the knife I0. The wrapping-clerk may then reach into the aperture I3 and beneath the knife Ill to grasp the marginal edge of the paper to pull the same outwardly against the frictional resistance of the drag-bar 'I until a short length has been unrolled. This short length is then conventionally cut off against the knife I and discarded, so that the free edge of the roll R will lie accurately beneath the cutting edge of the knife ID. It will, of course, be evident that this latter so-called starting operation, which results in discarding a short initial length of the paper, may be avoided if the operator cares to take sufficient time to position the initial margin of the sheet accurately beneath the cutting edge I0. `Of

used by even the most unskilled wrapping-clerk. Since the amount of paper required for any particular package may be quickly and conveniently accurately gauged, substantial savings in time, as well as wrapping materials, will be achieved. In addition, an unskilled wrapping-clerk is enabled to tear 01T a sheet of wrapping-paper which is exactly the required size, so that the resulting package may be neatly and securely encased in the wrapping paper, the more or less frequent unsightly and inefficient wrappings resulting from sheets of wrapping paper which are either too large or too small for the merchandise about which they are to be placed being thus course, this latter procedure may be preferable, i

since the paper may be very quickly positioned beneath the knife I0 with suicient accuracy for all practical purposes, a variation of a quarter of an inch more or less in the first sheet of paper torn from the roll making very little diierence in the ultimate result, for the device, Vas shown, automatically incorporates a lap of approximately two inches in the severed sheet.

With the paper-roll R properly installed, as described, the wrapping-clerk then places the package, as shown in dotted lines at P, in the corner of the L formed bythe height-gauge yH5 andthe length-gauge I9, as best seen in Figures 1, 2, and 4, reading the vertical dimension of the package P on the scale I8 and the horizontal dimension of the package P on the number graduation series a of scale' 20. The wrappingclerk thereupon mentally adds the two dimensions together Vand, grasping the marginal edge of the paper in the aperture I3, draws the paper outwardly until the free marginal edge thereof coincides with a particular number in the graduation-number series b that corresponds to twice the Vsum of the two measured dimensions. The paperris thereupon severed from the roll in the conventional manner, and the severed sheet will be found to precisely enfold the package with the desired overlap. Y

For example, as shown, the package P has a vertical dimension of four inches and a horizontal 'dimension of eight inches, the total of which is obviously twelve. Therefore, the sheet is drawn out, as shown in dot-dash lines, until the free marginal edge m coincides with the figure l2 of the graduation series b, as shown in Figure 1, which is the equivalent of the number 24 in the series a, or twice the total of the two dimensions of the particular package P. Hence, since the distance between the scale-face I1 of the height-gauge I6 and the cutting edge of the knife I0 is two inches, the total length of paper thus severed will be twenty-four inches and will enfold the package P with a two inch overlap. When the section of wrapping paper has been thus gauged and severed from the roll R, the package may be enfolded in it and wrapped in any conventional manner. i vIt Will, of course, be evident that wrappingcounters constructed in `accordance with our present invention may be very simply and economically constructedvand may be conveniently Vavoided and eliminated.

' stalled, and it should be understood that changes and modifications in the form, construction, ar-

rangement, and combination of the several parts of the wrapping-counter may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without departing from the' nature and principle of our invention;

Havingthus described our invention, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A paper gauge for use with a wrappingcounter having a wrapping-paper roll and a paper cut-off knife, said guage comprising an L-shaped member having horizontal and vertical legs both disposed at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the knife, said vertical leg being spaced from the knife by a predetermined distance so as to introduce into the paper strip being gauged a iixed addtiional length portion.

2A paper gauge for use with a wrappingcounter having a wrapping-paper roll and a paper cut-off knife, said gauge comprising an L-shaped member having horizontal and vertical legs both disposed at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the knife, said leg members being respectively provided with primary scales consisting of numbered graduations progressingV 'length of half of its perimeter measured by adding the distances respectively intercepted by the upper and outermost edges of the package along said primary scales, said horizontal leg further being provided with an auxiliary scale the graduations of which are spaced from each other by a distance Vequal to twice the distance between the graduations of the primary scales and being numbered in progressive order away from an index point, which is, in turn, located at a predetermined distance from the knife such that when the paper-sheet is manually unrolled and pulled beneath the knife until its forwardmost edge coincides with the numbered graduation on the auxiliary scale corresponding to the particular half-perimeter of the package being Wrapped the paper-sheet may then be severed against 'the index point of the auxiliary scale and the knife.

' ARTHUR A. SCHARFF, JR.

FRANK J. SMITH. 

